Protective garment having outer shell and detachable trim of high visibility, to distinguish rank, function, or responsibility

ABSTRACT

In a protective garment, such as a coat, trousers, overalls, or coveralls, for a military or paramilitary firefighter or emergency worker, several strips of reflective trim of high visibility are attached detachably to an outer shell of low visibility, as by hook-and-loop fasteners or snap fasteners, so that the trim can be readily detached from the outer shell without causing damage to the outer shell or to the trim. At least some of the trim is distinctive of a given rank, function, or responsibility of an intended wearer of the protective garment. Preferably, the distinctive trim is coded, e.g., color-coded, to distinguish the given rank, function, or responsibility.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention pertains to a protective garment, such as a coat,trousers, overalls, or coveralls, for a firefighter or an emergencyworker. This invention contemplates that the protective garment has anouter shell, that the protective garment has detachable trim of highvisibility, and that at least some of the trim is distinctive of a rank,function, or responsibility of an intended wearer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Protective garments for firefighters and emergency workersinclude coats, trousers, overalls, and coveralls. Currently, NationalFire Protection Association (NFPA) standards require a protectivegarment for a firefighter to have reflective trim which enhances thevisibility of the protective garment and, therefore, the visibility ofits wearer under smoke-laden and other adverse conditions. Generally,reflective trim is affixed by sewing, adhesively, or otherwise, andcannot be readily detached.

[0003] Commonly, in a given incident, certain firefighters or emergencyworkers have or are assigned to have certain ranks, functions, orresponsibilities, e.g., to serve as incident commanders or as safetyofficers. Moreover, in a given incident, it may be very important forother firefighters or emergency workers to be quickly able to ascertainby passing glances, even in smoke-laden or other conditions of impairedvisibility, which firefighters or emergency workers have or are assignedto have those ranks, functions, or responsibilities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] This invention provides a protective garment, such as a coat,trousers, overalls, or coveralls, for a firefighter or an emergencyworker. The protective garment has an outer shell and has detachabletrim of high visibility. At least some of the trim is distinctive of agiven rank, function, or responsibility of an intended wearer of theprotective garment. Preferably, the distinctive trim is coded, e.g.,color-coded, to distinguish the given rank, function, or responsibility.

[0005] Preferably, the protective garment has means for attaching thetrim detachably to the outer shell so that the trim can be readilyremoved from the outer shell without causing damage to the outer shellor to the trim. In a preferred embodiment, the attaching means comprisesa hook-and-loop fastener. In an alternative embodiment, the attachingmeans comprises a snap fastener.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a protective coat embodying thisinvention, having an outer shell and having several strips of reflectivetrim of high visibility, which are attached detachably to the outershell and which are distinctive of a rank, function, or responsibilityof an intended wearer.

[0007]FIG. 2 is a similar view of the protective coat, in which thosestrips of reflective trim were attached detachably to the outer shell byhook-and-loop fasteners, in which all but one of those strips ofreflective trim have been detached from the outer shell, and in whichone of those strips of reflective trim is being detached from the outershell.

[0008]FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail taken from FIG. 2, as and whereoutlined and indicated in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a similar detailillustrating snap fasteners, as alternative means for attaching a stripof reflective trim detachably to the outer shell.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] As illustrated in FIG. 1, protective coat 10 for a firefighter oran emergency worker has an outer shell 20 and has multiple strips 30 ofreflective trim of high visibility, which are attached detachably to theouter shell 20. The protective coat may have an inner liner or innerliners, not illustrated, which provide a moisture barrier, thermalprotection, or both.

[0010] Except as illustrated and described herein, the protective coat10 is similar to protective coats available commercially from MorningPride Manufacturing, L.L.C. of Dayton, Ohio, and form other sources.Such strips of reflective trim of high visibility are availablecommercially from Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company of St.Paul, Minn., and from other sources.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, eachstrip 30 of reflective trim is attached detachably to the outer shell 20by a hook-and-loop fastener 40, in which a hook-faced strip 42 is sewnor affixed otherwise to the outer shell 20 and a loop-faced strip 44 issewn or affixed otherwise to said strip 30 of reflective trim.Alternatively, which the loop-faced strip 44 is sewn or affixedotherwise to the outer shell 20 and the hook-faced strip 42 is sewn oraffixed otherwise to said strip 30 of reflective trim.

[0012] In an alternative embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 4, eachstrip 30 of reflective trim is attached detachably to the outer shell 20by snap fastener 50, in each of which a male element 52 is sewn oraffixed otherwise to the outer shell 20 and a female element 54 is sewnor affixed otherwise to said strip 30 of reflective trim. Alternatively,the female element 54 is sewn or affixed otherwise to the outer shell 20and the male element 52 is sewn or affixed otherwise to said strip 30 ofreflective trim.

[0013] As contemplated by this invention, the strips 30 of reflectivetrim are color-coded to distinguish a rank, function, or responsibilityof an intended wear of the protective garment 10, in a given incident.As an example, if the outer shell 20 is tan, the strips 30 of reflectivetrim may be red if the intended wearer has been assigned to serve as theincident commander, green if the intended wearer has been assigned toserve as a safety officer, and yellow otherwise. The strips 30 ofreflective trim can be readily detached, as for laundering of the outershell 20, such strips 30, or both, for repair of the outer shell 20,such strips 30, or both, or for substitution of similar strips of adifferent color to distinguish another rank, function, orresponsibility.

1. A protective garment for a military or paramilitary firefighter oremergency worker, the protective garment having an outer shell of lowvisibility without trim of high visibility, the protective garmenthaving detachable trim of high visibility.
 2. A protective garment for amilitary or paramilitary firefighter or emergency worker, the protectivegarment having an outer shell of low visibility without trim of highvisibility, the protective garment having trim of high visibility, thetrim being attached detachably to the outer shell so as to be readilydetachable from the outer shell without causing damage to the outershell or to the trim.
 3. A protective garment for a military orparamilitary firefighter or emergency worker, the protective garmenthaving an outer shell of low visibility without trim of high visibility,trim of high visibility, and means for attaching the trim detachably tothe outer shell so that the trim can be readily detached from the outershell without causing damage to the outer shell or to the trim.
 4. Theprotective garment of claim 3 wherein the attaching means comprises ahook-and-loop fastener.
 5. The protective garment of claim 3 wherein theattaching means comprises a snap fastener.